


Through the Falling Leaves

by J__S



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Baker Huening Kai, Chaptered, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Knight Choi Beomgyu, Knight Choi Yeonjun, Knight Kang Taehyun, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Prince Choi Soobin, Soft Choi Yeonjun, Whipped Choi Soobin, beomgyu is lost and oblivious, huening kai knows everything, taehyun is soobin's baby, yeonjun disapproves of taebin, yeonjun is kinda uptight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:07:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22876795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J__S/pseuds/J__S
Summary: The love story of Prince Choi Soobin and a knight, Kang Taehyun, as told through the perspective of Choi Yeonjun.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Through the Falling Leaves

Watching Taehyun duel, Yeonjun thinks, is like listening to a song. It starts off with the soft, low hum of his sword as he dances around the opponent, letting his sword taunt the enemy with its sweet melody. But the sweetness is only an act of deception, for it is carefully laced with the bitterness and anger and determination that is cultivated from a childhood dedicated to attaining perfection. The song intensifies. It’s like a crescendo, Yeonjun remarks, as Taehyun brings down his blade upon his opponent. It almost seems like it is glowing from the intensity of the harmony. The blade belts out the final note. The crowd erupts into cheers. Yeonjun is engulfed as he is brought into a hug by his surrounding friends. He does not cheer or scream like them, but lets a smile spread across his face as pride festers inside of him.

Because Taehyun was his first. His first friend, his first accomplice, his first competitor, his first win, and his first loss. Yeonjun was fourteen when they met, having dedicated his life to training to be a knight. Burdened by his family legacy and the company of those older and more skilled than him, Taehyun was the first and only kid his age he’d ever been exposed to. Well, not really his age. Taehyun was eleven, and looked even younger, but it didn’t bother Yeonjun who’d craved companionship for so long. So Yeonjun took the small, weak, bumbling child under his wing and vowed to protect him and guide him.

Though perhaps Yeonjun took Taehyun too lightly in the beginning. As time went on, it became clear that despite his small stature, Taehyun was gifted with a natural athleticism that aided him in his knightly training. This was in direct contrast with the other bumbling fool he would come to befriend: Prince Choi Soobin.

Even at the delicate age of thirteen, Prince Soobin had an imposing presence. Towering over Yeonjun and Taehyun, his height and broad stature established him as a sure threat to Yeonjun’s position. There was also the title of Crown Prince that loomed over him, the royal title intimidating all those around him. Well, almost all. Despite being wise beyond years, little Taehyun apparently had a lack of awareness of social cues and conventions. While Yeonjun didn’t have to fulfill his promise to take care of Taehyun due to him excelling at the training, it was clear that Yeonjun would have to step up now. Taehyun’s unwillingness to acknowledge and bow down to royal blood would surely land him in trouble without Yeonjun to aid him. When he confronted Taehyun about his bold behaviour, the younger seemed unable to see the problem that was so clearly evident to Yeonjun.

“But why does it matter?” The boy asks Yeonjun, wide-eyed. “He’s here to learn and practice just like us. How will he do that if we treat him differently?”

 _It’s not about him!_ Yeonjun wanted to scream. _It’s about us. It is about what those like him can do to those like us._

But Taehyun hadn’t seen that face of royalty. He was innocent to the cruel nature that accompanied those with power. So instead, Yeonjun watched and observed, ready to step in whenever Taehyun would need him.

Fortunately, Yeonjun never needed to. Because Choi Soobin, was a clumsy, graceless, awkward fool. Though, a kind-hearted fool for sure.

After a few practices, it became evident that the prince’s stature was not indicative of his abilities at all. Yeonjun could say with confidence that his nine year old sister could throw better than the tall boy. Well, unlike Taehyun, he wouldn’t say it aloud. But despite that, his walls slowly began to come down. Seeing Soobin respond goodnaturedly to Taehyun’s teasing, seeing him treat the teachers with reverence and respect, and seeing him make polite attempts at gaining Yeonjun’s trust and friendship helped the older realise that Soobin was not a man who looked down on those of lower castes. Despite his elevated status, Soobin did not act superior to his fellows and treated those around him as friends rather than his subjects. Soobin’s kind nature endeared Yeonjun and it was not long until he too started treating Soobin not as a royal, but as a friend. After numerous years of training together, they became close friends, perhaps even closer than he was with Taehyun.

Of course, Taehyun and Soobin were not the only friends he made over the years. Many joined the knightly training, but none were able to get as close to the trio as Beomgyu and Huening Kai. The quintet formed a strong bond that lasted even as they each went their individual ways.

Soobin only continued on with training for as long as it was deemed necessary. He had not initially wanted to pursue the training at all, but his parents thought it was becoming of a young prince to know the art of the sword and to be able to defend himself. When he gained mastery in that area, he shifted his focus to more academic pursuits, though he kept visiting the other four who were still in training. Soobin’s situation was much like Yeonjun’s, in that he grew up surrounded with adults. The servants of the castle tended to be of older age, and the diplomats were certainly not any younger. The young knights-in-training were the only kids in the castle who were similar in age to him, thus Soobin was allowed to pursue a friendship with them. While he typically only watched when he visited, Soobin still occasionally continued to cultivate his expertise in the more strength based activities, such as spear throwing, rather than focusing on those based on skill.

The second to go pursue a separate path was the youngest, Huening Kai. Much like Soobin, Huening Kai had a large build that convinced the others that he would excel as a knight. And while he was not completely graceless like the elder, he still struggled to meet the athletic demands of the job. Ultimately, it was not inability, but a lack of passion that convinced him to give up on the path and to redirect his efforts to a better suited avenue. After soul searching for a period of time, Huening Kai found himself drawn to the palace kitchens, where Soobin helped him gain a position as the apprentice to one of the bakers. The youngest was determined not to let down Soobin after his glowing recommendation, and proved himself to his harsh new master through his hardwork and talent. Working in the castle, Huening had more opportunities to interact with Soobin than the rest and the two formed a cat and mouse relationship that did little to mask their evident affection for each other. On weekends, the apprentice baker made sure to visit his training friends with fresh loaves of bread to reward their hard work.

As for the other three, they continued on their path to knightship. Much like Taehyun, Beomgyu turned out to possess a surprising amount of athleticism despite his smaller body. But Beomgyu refused to rely solely on his natural abilities and worked twice as hard as anybody in the training to be successful at everything he did. His perfectionistic tendencies didn’t let him settle for anything less than absolute excellence, resulting in him spending the majority of his time at the training grounds. Despite being a stickler for perfection, Beomgyu was not a precisian. He despised being confined by rules and regulations and often publicly rebelled against them. The boy’s mischievous nature often put him at odds with Yeonjun, who struggled to reign him in and keep him out of trouble. This led to many conflicts and constant bickering between the two, but ultimately, the lighthearted fighting only strengthened the bond between them. The duo’s friendship deepened as both were sorted into the same cohort in the last phase of their training.

Unfortunately, Taehyun was placed in a different cohort than his two friends. In the final stage of training, the knights-to-be are placed into separate groups, or cohorts, to complete their training. This is done so as to increase camaraderie with those of the same cohort and to be able to provide more personalised training. It also allows for friendly competition as the members compete to be top-ranking member of their individual cohort.

Initially, Taehyun felt lost without his friends and struggled to find his place in his cohort. However, the distance allowed Taehyun an opportunity to discover himself and to shine as an individual. Soon, Taehyun found himself rising through the ranks to become the top-ranking member of his cohort. Unfortunately, this did not give Taehyun the satisfaction he wanted as he still felt as if the separation was causing a rift in the bond between him and the group. Taehyun previously relied greatly on the other knights. Beomgyu was his permanent confidante, with the two being able to share even the most private matters of their lives to each other. But as he watched Yeonjun and Beomgyu get naturally closer, Taehyun found himself unable to feel as secure in their friendship. He retreated himself into scholarly studies, which he had been fascinated in since he was younger. The newfound hobby brought him closer to Soobin, who was also more academically inclined. The two bonded as they peered over dusty books, analyzing the ink-stained papers into the lengths of the night until they could no longer decipher the individual words.

As for Yeonjun, he was doing just fine. Yeonjun had a high amount of pressure on him from his family to excel as a knight, but he did not crumble underneath the intensity of the expectations. Instead, he defied each one as he became the top-ranking knight of his cohort. His family was proud of him, he was the best in his field, and his friends were all safe and happy. What more could he want?

Presently, Yeonjun shakes his head. Enough with the reminiscing. As he watches Taehyun walk up the stairs to the podium, he cannot help but be filled with awe. The little boy he once thought would be in need of his constant support had just defeated his final opponent to win an entire sporting tournament. Of course, it isn’t his first time. The sporting tournaments happen multiple times a year and are open to members of any cohort. They contain multiple events, such as jousting, archery, chess, and team events where the cohorts serve as teams. One does not have to enter in each event, but the participant who wins the most events wins the entire tournament, which boosts their ranking in their own cohort. Usually, Yeonjun and Taehyun alternate in being the winners of the tournament, but lately, the latter has been making consecutive wins. Yeonjun is proud, so insanely proud. He sees Taehyun, sees how his every step is heavy with purpose, sees how he holds his body so confidently, and sees how his brows set together in determination. How can he not be proud of the man he’s become?

Taehyun reaches the podium. Some things don’t change, Yeonjun realises, as he sees the way his body seems smaller and smaller as he approaches the Crown Prince. Soobin stands towering above the younger, wearing a seemingly solemn expression. Yeonjun knows better as he sights Soobin’s dimples making an indent on his cheek, the telltale sign of him holding back a smile.

“Ahem,” Soobin announces. Taehyun laughs and Soobin’s facade seems to falter before he recomposes himself. Steadily, he delivers a monologue about the competition as Taehyun bounces on his feet besides him. Reaching the end of the speech, the elder is handed a robe and a laurel by an attendant. Putting on his serious face, Soobin beckons Taehyun towards him. Taehyun laughs again but follows his instructions. He approaches the prince and kneels, lowering his head in wait of the laurel. Gently, Soobin lowers it towards Taehyun’s head. His hands first softly smooth over Taehyun’s hair before he places the laurel lightly on his crown. Soobin’s hands linger before retreating and Yeonjun feels his stomach churn. Something about the exchange seemed oddly intimate, but Yeonjun quickly dismisses the thought. He sees Taehyun get up, a soft smile on his face. The knight reaches out for the robe and Soobin hands it to him, his hands engulfing Taehyun’s small ones as the exchange occurs. Again, they linger. Taehyun retreats his hand and by now, Soobin’s sober facade has completely disappeared. He looks down at Taehyun, dumbly smiling, as the younger puts on the robe. The fabric swamps up Taehyun’s tiny frame, causing Soobin’s eyes to light up at the sight. Yeonjun watches as the two bow to each other. Taehyun, unsteady with the extra weight of the oversized robes, waddles back to the arena. Yeonjun can’t help but giggle as he observes Taehyun’s cute walk, contrasting with his earlier confidence.

Suddenly, Yeonjun feels a harsh tug on his arm, and is forced to run as he is dragged towards Taehyun by Huening Kai and Beomgyu. He comes to a stop as he crashes into a body, who decides it’s apt to wrap his arms around him.

“How did I do, hyung?” Taehyun whispers, as Yeonjun hugs him back.

Yeonjun smiles. “You know very well how you did. This whole arena knows how well you did.” Taehyun lets go of Yeonjun, but the elder continues to hold on, swinging him around as the smaller giggles. Finally, he lets go, allowing Taehyun to embrace their other two companions.

 _Now is the time_ , Yeonjun thinks, _to accept what I’ve known now for years_.

Taehyun no longer needs to be protected or guided by Yeonjun. Perhaps, he _never_ really did. The realization is not sudden for Yeonjun. Instead, it is like the slow process of green turning brown as the cold approaches. The leaves had started to wilt long ago, but still some green persisted through the decay. Only now that the tree is finally bare with no green in sight, can Yeonjun completely accept the fact. And it is okay. The green will return soon along with the warm spring breeze and the gentle warmth of the sun. It is okay. Yeonjun’s family was proud of him, he was the best in his field, and his friends were all safe and happy. What more could he want?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends!!!!!!!
> 
> This is my first work for TXT so I'm pretty excited! I love taebin and noticed there was a lack of fics for the pairing so I thought maybe I should contribute.
> 
> The concept was a love story told through the eyes of a third party. I get that this chapter was not really romantic, but I'm going to try incorporate more of it through Yeonjun's perspective as the story goes on and the relationships develop. I kind of just wanted to focus on their friendship in the first few chapters. I have no idea how difficult keeping to perspective of Yeonjun will be, so I might change it up in the future. Feel free to leave suggestion on what you'd prefer! I don't have a completely steady direction for this story but I do have some plans! One thing is for sure, Yeonjun is definitely gonna take back those last words in the next chapter ....
> 
> Also, this is my first time doing a chaptered fic as well. I honestly have no idea what my update schedule will be like b/c I've never done this before. So, honestly, it may be anything from updated every few days to every time Huening Kai posts a selfie!! (I'd say I'm laughing, but my eye is twitching).
> 
> I get that the description and this chapter are kinda vague, so if you want a quick summary of what's gonna happen just ask in a comment (or read the tags for some clues!)
> 
> Oh, and this is not beta read, so if you have any corrections, feel free to point them out
> 
> If u want to reach me on any other platform, I also have a twitter (@sona_sung), I mostly just cry about Taehyun there 
> 
> Thanks for reading this fic and giving it a chance :)))))


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